Momo Paradise Shinjuku Higashi-guchi — Restaurant in Tokyo

"Absolutely incredible food and impeccable service!!!"

Pros: The food was absolutely delicious and the quality of the ingredients was top-notch. The atmosphere was nice and relaxing, with the interior having a warm ambience. The service by the staff was attentive and exceptional.

Cons: Can be a bit expensive, depending on the course. 100-minute time limit is reasonable, but the food is so good, you wish you could stay longer...

During my visit to Tokyo last spring, I dined at Mo-Mo-Paradise, which I found on a whim after shopping at the Uniqlo across the street. I decided to have dinner there and arrived right when they opened for service so there was no line or waiting to be seated. Since this was my first formal shabu-shabu experience (I've had it before in the States, although it was informal and more of a to-go/takeout), I decided to opt for the All-You-Can-Eat Wagyu A5 Rank buffet course for Y8,800. When I converted it to US Dollars, it turned out to only be $60, which was an absolute bargain since the same meal and quality of meat could run up to $100+ back home.

The server who helped me was Ryuma, who was absolutely attentive and extremely helpful. When I told him it was my first time having a sit-down shabu-shabu, he gave me a brief tutorial on the different meats, broths, good combinations, sauces, etc. He even brought over vegetables and side items that he thought would complement the best with the choice of meat and broth that I decided. Wow!

The food itself was top-notch, high-quality, and absolutely delicious. Being able to enjoy Wagyu A5 meat without decimating your bank account was such a relief and gave me the satisfaction that I could enjoy such a fine meal focusing on the food and not the bill. Granted there was a 100-minute time limit, I was still able to taste different varieties and combinations of meat, broths, and sides which I thought was enough time to do so. I finished off my meal with freshly-made ice cream to usher in the transitions from entree to dessert.

Ken's Takeaway: Dining at Mo-Mo-Paradise was one of the highlights of my time in Tokyo and was culinary experience that I will remember for a long time. Not only was the quality of food superb, but the service was very professional and attentive. I highly recommend checking out Mo-Mo-Paradise when you are in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo (although they have a few different locations). You will not regret it, especially for what I think is a reasonable $60 for the high-end...

We arrived at the restaurant late in the evening without a reservation, just after getting off a long flight. Our group of six hadn’t eaten all day and we were extremely hungry. Thankfully, we were warmly welcomed and seated, and we were lucky to have Tatsuya as our server.

While enjoying the all-you-can-eat menu, we ordered often and asked for many refills — and Tatsuya never once made us feel rushed or inconvenient. He worked hard, served every dish with a smile, and remained polite and professional throughout. He also gave us excellent recommendations and explained our options clearly, making sure we got exactly what we wanted.

Because we had arrived so late and the restaurant was close to closing, Tatsuya kindly reminded us about the last order time so we wouldn’t miss out — something we truly appreciated after such a long day.

On top of that, we honestly didn’t expect to be able to communicate much in English while in Japan, but Tatsuya made it surprisingly easy. Even without speaking like a native, he understood what we needed through a mix of body language, English keywords, and attentiveness. It made the whole experience feel smooth and friendly, and we enjoyed our interactions with him a lot.

Thank you, Tatsuya, for your outstanding service, patience, and kindness. You turned a late-night, hungry arrival into a wonderful...

The food and staff inside the restaurant itself were very good. They had multilingual staff for foreigners and they explained everything for us. The food was delicious too.

However, I have a pressing concern with the receptionist staff. This is not the first time it has happened either. I was here a few months ago with family to try the restaurant and was spoken to in a very snobby manner. Almost like they were bothered by our presence. I let it pass the that time because, like this time, the food was great and the servers were nice. I returned here with a reservation this time for a birthday of all things, and my friend who arrived first tells me she was pretty much yelled at by the receptionist for mishearing a question. The receptionist also looked at us like we were offending her with our presence. We spoke quietly and patiently followed their instructions to wait until we were complete to be seated yet the receptionist continued to give negative attitude. My friend was so shaken by it the night was pretty much ruined.

Is this just an issue with the reception staff?? Why is there such a gap in service? For the prestige of the restaurant and the price of the food, you’d expect to be treated better with properly trained staff. The discrepancy makes it difficult to want to return here, even with...